Apparatus for detarnishing silver

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for electrolytically cleaning articles including a double walled tank covered by a hinged lid with a runoff returning strip, and having an electrically powered supply which is readily detachable from the tank. The tank includes a recessed grid which receives an electrode below the inner surface of the tank, the other electrode is attached by flexible cord to the power supply and hooks to the article being cleaned. Finally, an electroplating wand is also connected to the power supply.

United States Patent [191 Boley [451 Nov. 27, 1973 APPARATUS FOR DETARNISHING SILVER [76] Inventor: Eugene C. Boley, 7226 Hickory Hill Ln., Huntsville, Ala. 35802 [22] Filed: July 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 163,015

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS -9/1922 Weeks ..204/248X '6/1941 Hesse.....

2/1970 Berglund et a1. 204/287 X 8/1969 Gannoe 204/224 X Primary Examiner-John H. Mack Assistant Examiner-D. R. Valentine Altorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman [5 7] ABSTRACT An apparatus for electrolytically cleaning articles including a double walled tank covered by a hinged lid with a runoff returning strip, and having an electrically powered supply which is readily detachable from the tank. The tank includes a recessed grid which receives an electrode below the inner surface of the tank, the other electrode is attached by flexible cord to the power supply and hooks to the article being cleaned. Finally, an electroplating wand is also connected to 4 Claims, Drawing Figures 2,421,027 1 5/1947 lsaacson..... the power Supply 2,632,730 3/1953 Brannan 204/248 X 3,457,151 7/1969 Kortejarvi 204/141 X Fi- -Ll. 7.

I APPARATUS FOR DETARNISIIING SILVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to apparatus for electrolytically'cleaning articles and, more particularly, to apparatus in which tarnish is removed from silver articles by exposing them to electrical current while they are immersed in an electrolyte.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is known to remove tarnish from articles made from silver or the like by placing the articles into a vat containing an electrolytic bath with, perhaps, a detergent added thereto.

Current is then supplied to the bath from an anode immersed in the bath while the cathode is directly connected to the articles to be cleaned.

In the case of silver articles tarnished by a silver sulphide coating, the electrolytic action at the anode creates free hydrogen ions which migrate towards the cathode and combine with the silver sulphide to create gaseous hydrogen sulphide which then escapes from the electrolytic bath.

The apparatus developed by the prior art included tanks of non-conductive material such as glass or plastie, a metallic basket of some sort into which the articles to be cleaned were enclosed and an electrode which may either be fixed to the side or bottom of the tank or hand held within the tank. A heater was disposed within the tank for heating the electrolytic solution to thereby enhance its electrolytic properties.

These prior art electrolytic cleaning apparatus were subject to several inherent disadvantages. In the first place a sizeable expenditure in electric power was necessary to bring the electrolytic solution to a proper temperature and then to maintain this temperature.

Secondly, the prior art apparatus tended to be fairly heavy since they had to be large enough to completely enclose, for example, large silver platters and thus these apparatus were expensive to ship and were not easily stored when not in use.

Thirdly, since the electrolytic solution was being heated to an elevated temperature of about 110 F during electrolytic cleaning operations, the rate of evaporation of the electrolytic solution was rather significant andeven where the prior art provided lids for the tank to minimize evaporation losses, these lids (l) hindered the operators movements within the tank and (2) promoted condensation runoff from the inside of the lids with concurrent waste of electrolytic solution.

Fourthly, in the prior art apparatus, the electric components which powered the heater and electrolytic current generator were difficult to replace or service since they were not easily separable from the remainder of the apparatus.

Fifthly, it was, in known apparatus, impossible to maneuver articles within the electrolytic bath to thus achieve a more efficient cleaning, not only because these articles had to be placed into fixed baskets, but also because extreme caution was required to avoid electric contact between the electrode and the cathode which could damage the electrical power system of the apparatus or cause a breakdown in the electric supply system to the apparatus.

Finally, none of the prior apparatus known to the applicant provide an additional attachment whereby the electrolytic cleaning apparatus may also be used as an electroplating apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to overcome the disadvantage of the prior art it is one object of the applicants invention to provide an electrolytic cleaning apparatus which is rigid and strong yet light in weight and which is effectively insulated. To this effect the tank portion of the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a double walled construction of fiber glass or the like which completely encloses a dead air space.

It is another object of the applicants invention to minimize evaporation losses from the tank by means of a lid which is so hinged as to completely expose the tank and yet prevents solution which has condensed on its inner surface from being lost in either the open or the closed position.

It is yet another object of the applicants invention to provide an easily serviceable electrolytic cleaning apparatus wherein the electric power unit (which is more likely to require periodic repair than the practically maintenance-free tank) is easily removable, as a unit, from the tank.

It is still another object of the applicants invention to provide an electrolytic cleaning apparatus in which articles may be maneuvered during cleaning without danger to the operator or to the electrical power system. To this efiect a metallic clip, which is connected through a flexible cord to the negative terminal of the apparatus power unit, is clamped onto the article undergoing treatment and thus, the article itself becomes a maneuverable cathode, i.e., no fixed basket or other container is required. In addition, the anode is formed by stainless steel strips which are countersunken in the bottom of the tub to avoid accidental electrical contact when the article is being maneuvered within the tank.

Finally, it is yet another object of applicants invention to provide an attachment in the form of a plating wand, which is powered by the same power unit as the remainder of the apparatus, by which an electroplating operation may be performed on articles formed of silver or the like.

The above and other objects are accomplished by the preferred embodiment of the invention which will now be described with reference to the attached drawings in which;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment, partially in section.

FIG. 2 is a detail taken along line 2-2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is wiring diagram of the electrical power unit for the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 4 is the top view of the preferred embodiment with the lid lifted to an open position.

The same elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. l the box-like electrolytic cleaning receptacle or tank of the preferred embodiment is indicated, generally, by reference numeral 10. This tank 10 is formed on all four sides and its bottom with inner and outer walls 12 and 14, respectively, of fiber glass or like material which is essentially non-conductive and essentially non-reactive with the chemicals used in the electrolytic bath 16 which is contained within tank 10.

The walls 12 and 14 completely enclose a dead air space 15 since they are sealed together at their upper ends by the U-shaped piece 18 best seen in FIG. 2. Thus, the walls 12 and 14 create an effective thermal barrier between the interior of tank 10 and the ambient air as well as providing the tank with maximum strength and rigidity with minimum weight. The tank 10 is supported by a steel frame 13 which has a rim 17 properly sized to receive the bottom of tank 10 and form adjustable feet 19, of which only two are shown in FIG. 1, for adjusting the rim of tank 10, upon, for instance, a counter top.

Protruding into the tank 10 at a level below the level of the electrolytic bath 16 is a bayonet type water heater 20 which may be of the 2,500 watts size. This heater is controlled by the thermostat at 22 which may be a bimetallic switch set to open at 110 F which conventionally energizes when the electrolytic bath 16 temperature falls below 110 F. The heater 20 is connected to an external power source at terminals 21.

The bottom and sides of the tank 10 contain a recessed or countersunk grid-work 24 within which a grid of stainless steel strips 26 are located so that the tops of the strips are withdrawn from the inner surface of wall 12, and the strips 26 are connected by terminal 27 to the positive terminal of a D.C. power source 28 so as to become the anode position of an electrolytic circuit.

The cathode or negative portion of the electrolytic circuit is provided by the lead plated copper clip 30 which is connected by the flexible current conducting cord 32 to the negative terminal of D.C. power source 28. When not in use the clip 30 is clamped to the D.C. power source housing 34 by clamps 36. Since the terminals 21 and 27 are of the easily disconnectable variety and since the D.C. power source housing 34 is removably fastened to the outer wall 14 of tank 10 by fasteners 38a and 38b, the power source may be easily removed from the tank for separate servicing.

The D.C. power source 28, as is best seen in FIG. 3 comprises a plug connection 40 to a standard 1 l5 V.A.C. power source and an on-off toggle switch 42.

When switch 42 is in the off position no current is transmitted to the rest of the unit. When switch 42 is in the on position A.C. current is transmitted to the heater 20 through the thermostat 22. Also, when switch 42 is in the on position A.C. current is passed through the step down transformer 44 which puts out about l5 V.A.C. and is then passed through the rectifier 46 which may be a 50 V., 17 ampere diode bridge and charges a filtering capacitor 48. When the push button circuit breaker 50 is also energized the D.C. current will then energize the indicator light 52 and provide voltage with 15 volt differential between the stainless steel strips 26 and the clip 30. Such a voltage is appropriate to produce electrolytic current within the electrolytic bath 16 without endangering the opera- {OR The electrolytic bath may be formed of various components. It is desirable, however, hat the bath be an efficlent electrolyte without chemically attacking either the operator's hands or the inner wall of tank 10. It has been found that a mixture of two cups of trisodium phosphate, conventional powdered detergent, in a three to one volume ratio dissolved in tap water and which may fill tank 10 to within three to 6 inches from the top forms a suitable electrolyte.

The operation of the electrolytic cleaning apparatus described above is as follows: First the lid 11 of tank 10 is lifted from the closed position shown in FIG. 1 to the partially open position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the tank is filled with preferably hot water and the above chemicals to form the electrolytic bath 16. The lid 1 l is then closed. The switch is pushed on when this electrolytic bath 16 reaches ll0 F the clip 30 is attached to the article to be detamished. The lid 1 l of the tank 10 is again lifted through the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 4. The plastic strip 13 best seen in FIG. 2 causes a condensate which has formed on the inner surface of lid 11 to flow back into the tank. The article to be detamished is then immersed within the electrolytic bath 16 preferably with the inside of the article, if any, first turned toward the strips 26. The article is then gently revolved in the bath. Since the strips 26 are countersunk there is little danger of direct contact between the article and the strips which avoids shorting and consequent damage to power source 28 or external circuit breakers. Also, since articles may be maneuvered, an article larger than the tank 10 can be partially immersed therein and rotated until clean.

Usually, the article is completely cleaned within 30 seconds due to the combined effect of the combination of the hydrogen ions created in the electrolytic bath which are driven towards the cathode, i.e., the article (with the silver sulphide deposited thereupon) to form gaseous hydrogen sulphide and the mechanical scrubbing action of hydrogen bubbles created at the cathode by the reuniting of hydrogen ions.

If it is desired to electroplate with the above described device, the article to be electroplated is first cleaned as described above and dried by towel.

The tip 57 of the plating wand 56 which may be formed of resilient spongy material, is then dipped into conventional plating solution and is then applied to the article. Since clip 30 is still attached to the article, an electrical circuit is completed between the plating wand 56 and the article which causes silver to be deposited upon the article.

While the above description fully covers the construction and operation of the preferred embodiment, it should be obvious to one skilled in the art that many changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

Thus, for example, the plug, rectifier and transformer of the D.C. power source may conventionally be replaced with a battery.

Therefore, the scope of the invention is described in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for electrolytically detarnishing articles formed of silver or like materials, including a receptacle for containing an electrolytic bath and having a bottom surface, said receptacle including a lid and a plastic strip attached to said lid at one edge and guided upon one inner wall of said receptacle at another edge and extending substantially along said wall for retuming condensate to said receptacle and electrode means contained within said receptacle for creating an electrolytic current through said bath and a power source electrically connected to said electrode means and mechanically connected to said receptacle for supplying current to said electrode means, the improvement comprising that said electrode means includes a first elec- 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said power source is releasably connected to said receptacle and said electrode means so as to be easily removed as a complete unit therefrom.

4. The apparatus are recited in claim 1 wherein said receptacle comprises a container having inner and outer walls on the sides and bottom thereof formed of a strong lightweight material which define therebetween a dead air space. 

1. In an apparatus for electrolytically detarnishing articles formed of silver or like materials, including a receptacle for containing an electrolytic bath and having a bottom surface, said receptacle including a lid and a plastic strip attached to said lid at one edge and guided upon one inner wall of said receptacle at another edge and extending substantially along said wall for returning condensate to said receptacle and electrode means contained within said receptacle for creating an electrolytic current through said bath and a power source electrically connected to said electrode means and mechanically connected to said receptacle for supplying current to said electrode means, the improvement comprising that said electrode means includes a first electrode recessed below the level of the rest of the bottom surface of said receptacle electrically connected to said power source and a second electrode directly connected to the article to be detarnished and electrically connected to said power so as to create electrolytic current flow between said first and second electrodes.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said second electrode is flexibly connected to said power source.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said power source is releasably connected to said receptacle and said electrode means so as to be easily removed as a complete unit therefrom.
 4. The apparatus are recited in claim 1 wherein said receptacle comprises a container having inner and outer walls on the sides and bottom thereof formed of a strong lightweight material which define therebetween a dead air space. 